Vegan Crispy Tofu with Lemon Dill Cream Sauce (2024)

November 17, 2019 by Lauren Hartmann 72 Comments

*This post may contain affiliate links in the recipe card*

I LOVE tofu. I know I may be in the minority here, but I think I have mastered tofu. When I look at a block of tofu now, at the ripe old age of 34, I know I can do amazing things with it. That being said, this vegan crispy tofu with lemon dill cream sauce is one of the most delicious things I’ve ever had. Tofu or not. A super easy, crispy baked tofu. Topped with a very addictive cream sauce.

I used to love fish topped with lemon dill sauce. I realized the other day that it would probably taste incredible over some tofu. Not only that, it would be even more amazing to marinate the tofu in lemon juice and then bread and bake it. So here you have one of the fanciest, truly incredible tofu dishes I have ever created.

This vegan crispy tofu with lemon dill cream sauce is the perfect main dish to go with a whole slew of sides. I like to serve it with steamed veggies for a healthish meal. I particularly like green beans with it. It’s also amazing with Vegan Mashed Potatoes or Vegan Cauliflower Mash! French fries or sweet potato fries. The possibilities are endless. So get creative, or use whatever veggies you have on hand that need to be used up!

If you have never tried a lemon dill cream sauce, now is the time! It is not normally vegan, but I knew it was time to make that happen. A note on the coconut cream, this sauce has maybe a slight hint of coconut, but it works and I don’t think you can really taste it very much at all. Once the sauce has simmered and reduced, it just tastes like lemon, dill, cream and happiness. I highly recommend just giving it a try!

Vegan Crispy Tofu with Lemon Dill Cream Sauce

Print Recipe

Crispy, crunchy baked tofu drizzled with the most amazing lemon dill sauce!

Course Main Course

Prep Time 1 hour hr

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Servings 4

Calories 355

Author Lauren hartmann

Ingredients

Crispy Tofu

1 Block(15oz.) Extra firm or super firm tofu, pressed
1 Cup Vegetable broth
1/4 Cup Lemon juice
2 Tablespoons Olive oil
2 teaspoons Salt, divided
1 1/3 Cup Cornstarch
3/4 Cup Bread crumbs, vegan (gluten-free if desired)

Lemon Dill Cream Sauce

1 Tablespoon Olive oil
1 Large Shallot, chopped
1/2 Cup Vegetable broth
2 Tablespoons Lemon juice, plus more to taste
1 Cup Coconut cream or full fat coconut milk*
1/4 Cup Fresh dill, chopped
Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions

Press the tofu first, if you need more info on pressing tofu, check out my Tofu Cooking Guide!
Once the tofu has been pressed, make the marinade for it. Whisk together the vegetable broth, lemon juice, olive oil and 1 teaspoon of salt in a large mixing bowl.
Then, cut the block of tofu into whatever shapes you want. I like to slice the tofu into slices that are about 1/3-1/2 inch thick and then cut those diagonally so I have small triangles. You just want them to be about that thickness.
Now, place all of the tofu into the marinade and let marinate for at least an hour. The longer the better, and you can even do it in the morning when you want it for dinner or the night before.
When ready to make the tofu, preheat the oven to 375 degrees(F).
Remove the tofu from the marinade and set it on a plate or in a bowl. Reserve the marinade, we will be using it to help bread the tofu.
Now, get two more medium sized mixing bowls. In the first one, add the cornstarch and the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt. Stir. In the second bowl, add the bread crumbs.
Then, put a few pieces of tofu into the cornstarch, coat them completely, shake off any excess, then put the tofu into the marinade and make sure the tofu is completely wet, then back in the cornstarch, then back in the marinade making sure the tofu is nice and wet, then into the bread crumbs coating completely.
Place the tofu onto a baking sheet sprayed with non-stick spray. Repeat with all the tofu, then spray the tops of the tofu with more non-stick spray.
Bake the tofu for 20 minutes, then flip and bake 15-20 more minutes or until the tofu is golden brown and firm.
While the tofu is baking, make the sauce. In a medium sized non-stick skillet, heat the olive oil on medium high.
Add the shallot and saute, reducing heat as needed until the shallot is translucent. About 5 minutes.
Then pour in the vegetable broth, lemon juice, and coconut cream. Stir to combine and season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for about 15 minutes, the sauce will reduce a bit and get a little thicker. Now, add the dill and simmer for another 5 minutes.
Taste and adjust seasonings. I like to add a bit more lemon juice and salt and pepper.
Once the tofu is done, serve the tofu with the sauce on top. Keep the tofu and sauce separate until serving so the tofu doesn't get soggy.

Notes

*The sauce might have a slight coconut taste, but I really think it works, and I don't really think it is noticeable at all. Once the sauce reduces, you really can't tell!

Nutrition

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Reader Interactions

Comments

Elmer
November 17, 2019 at 4:10 pm
Thanks for sharing. I definitely have to try this one, it looks so delicious and I am starving now
Reply
- Ashley
  June 9, 2020 at 3:11 am
  Suggestions on substitution for the coconut? Vegan cream cheese? Thanks!
  Reply
  - Lauren Hartmann
    June 13, 2020 at 9:04 pm
    I think vegan cream cheese would work! I have not tested it, but I think you will get similar results!
    Reply
  - Sassy
    December 1, 2020 at 10:56 am
    
    I have made this a couple times now as I am addicted to tofu and hubby actually likes this delicious recipe. I was not keen on it with the coconut cream as I could still taste it and am not a big fan of coconut in savory things. It was good just not to my taste so I played around with the sauce and have used vegan cream cheese which worked really well, I let it down with a little Oatly barista to get it down to the coconut milk consistency. That worked well. But the one that I felt worked the best for our family was some cashew cream. I suggest, whatever you substitute that you make extra sauce as that stuff is amazing!! It is even tasty on a bit of pasta for lunch 😉 The only other thing I did that was not suggested was to blitz down the sauce (hubby thinks he hates onions, shallots, etc and if he sees them in his food, he refuses to even try it lol. So I cooked as per recipe and then just blended it down so there was nothing he could identify and he was none the wiser. He goes bonkers for the sauce. This is a recipe I would serve for omni’s as well as anyone claiming not to like tofu to show them once and for all that vegan food is tasty and tofu is not boring and tasteless.
    Reply
    - Ann
      January 10, 2022 at 8:19 pm
      
      Love the suggestions! Thank you.
      Reply
  - Beth
    October 24, 2021 at 7:34 pm
    I used unsweetened soy milk!
    Reply
Marie
November 18, 2019 at 2:54 am

Wow! This was beyond delicious and totally easy! I foresee this dish becoming part of my regular rotation. Absolutely amazing!!! Can not recommend this enough. Thank you for this recipe 🙂
Reply
Denice
November 18, 2019 at 3:36 am

SO GOOD! Mine wasn’t as pretty but tasted fabulous. I needed to make additional sauce because it was so yummy and I practically drank it! Next time I will cut my tofu slices thinner. Another great recipe. Thanks so much!
Reply
- Lorraine
  August 29, 2020 at 8:14 pm
  I did the same thing! I started the sauce and had a little taste, immediately decided that dairy was no longer needed in my life ever again and ate maybe half of it, so our first dinner was a little less saucy that it should have been. Second time round I doubled the sauce. Want to try it with mashed potatoes when the weather gets chillier.
  I also prefer the tofu in more two bite size pieces too, although they look good in triangles.
  I’ve been recommending this recipe and this website to everyone ever since.
  Reply
Linda
November 18, 2019 at 9:45 am
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I just made this and it was delicious! The tofu turned out super crispy and the sauce was heaven. Thank you for sharing <3
Reply
Gisela
November 18, 2019 at 9:23 pm
Hi thanks for sharing this recipe. Can I substitute the fresh dill for dry dill?
Reply
- Lauren Hartmann
  November 19, 2019 at 4:22 pm
  Yes, I think dry dill would work, but I would only use a teaspoon or 2. Not a 1/4 cup.
  Reply
Traci
November 20, 2019 at 9:33 pm

I can’t wait to try this! Do you recommend using unsweetened or sweetened coconut milk/cream?
Reply
- Lauren Hartmann
  November 23, 2019 at 12:24 am
  I always use unsweetened canned coconut cream. I hope you enjoy!!
  Reply
Josh
December 9, 2019 at 11:46 am
I didn’t understand what the marinade is supposed to be. Is it the sauce?
Reply
- Lauren Hartmann
  December 10, 2019 at 8:49 pm
  Step 2, where the recipe says make the marinade, and then says whisk together the broth, lemon juice, olive oil and salt. That’s the marinade.
  Reply
Shulamit
December 25, 2019 at 11:55 am

Absolutely delicious!! My whole family loved it.
Reply
Heidi
December 25, 2019 at 3:36 pm

delicious, easy, and looks fancy! Thanks for all the recipes and inspiration to eat plant-based food!
Reply
Gabby
January 5, 2020 at 2:52 am
Hi!
Just wondering if you have any suggestions as to what to serve this with? Over pasta? Rice? Potatoes?
Thanks
Reply
- Arielle
  October 8, 2020 at 1:56 am
  
  Hey! I served this with roasted red potatoes and green beans with sautéed garlic. It was soooo delicious!!!
  Reply
  - Kai
    April 14, 2022 at 3:35 pm
    That sounds lovely, thank you for the idea!
    Reply
- Alex
  December 10, 2020 at 6:17 am
  
  We made it last night and served it over seasoned brown rice and peas. It was amazing!
  Reply
Adam
January 7, 2020 at 12:04 am

Oh man, since going plant based 2 years ago, we have had many tasty forms of tofu, and this one, hands down, is the best. We made it twice in a week. It is Soooo good. Our only complaint was there wasn’t enough sauce, so the second time we doubled it. This is a VERY good recipe, thank you!!
Reply
Laura Newton
January 9, 2020 at 5:43 am

I just made this tonight and it was incredible. I can’t wait to make it again, for guests next time. The sauce is amazing, but next time I’m going to double or triple the sauce recipe.
Reply
Rose
January 13, 2020 at 3:40 am

~A perfect dinner to share with loved ones~
My tofu results were crispy with the perfect meld of lemon and dill.
I used coconut cream, one Tbsp of dried dill and Panko bread crumbs.
Thank you!
Reply
Sylvie
January 16, 2020 at 2:37 am

Omg, this was far beyond my expectations! Absolutely delicious! Best tofu I’ve ever had, hands down. I will definitely be making this again!! Thanks for the recipe!
Reply
Mary Seed
January 23, 2020 at 9:31 pm

This is amazing. I never leave comments on blogs, like, EVER but I had to! I have made 3 of your recipes now and they are all so good and easy. This sauce, I could drink a glass of, I want to put it on everything. My husband doesn’t like dill so I subbed with chives and it was awesome. I served it with wild rice and seared broccolini and put the sauce on everything.
Reply
Rileigh
February 14, 2020 at 5:24 pm

Amazingly delicious, we did end up doubling both the marinade and the sauce, but otherwise, everything was perfect. I used dried dill and seasoned it to taste, also adding a bit of lemon zest and some of the dill to the breadcrumbs. This will definitely be a staple in our house, thank you for sharing!
Reply
Andrea
February 15, 2020 at 5:07 pm

One of my favourite tofu recipes to date!
Reply
Mari
February 16, 2020 at 4:43 pm

I loved, loved this dish! And so did my family. It was easy to make and didn’t take long. I marinated the tofu for 24 hours. I used coconut milk instead of cream by accident so the sause wasn’t as think but still tasted delicious. I will definitely be making this again and again. Thank you for sharing the recipe.
Reply
Kara
April 2, 2020 at 10:28 pm

Wow! This was delicious! I didn’t have much lemon juice so I used lemon pepper seasoning instead and it was so good!! My sauce didnt thicken up any even with adding corn starch, but it was still fantastic! Had plenty to drizzle on brussel sprouts! Thanks for a good one!
Reply
See Also
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Monica Dyer
April 7, 2020 at 11:30 pm

Wow!!!!! This is absolutely delicious!!! I made mashed potatoes and corn on the cob with it. Absolutely amazing. Thanks for such a wonderful recipe
Reply
Caitlin
May 3, 2020 at 11:19 pm

This is UNREAL. I have been vegan for 8.5 years (feeling pretty pro!) and I am still learning exciting new flavour combos – it never gets old! Thanks for this delicious, easy idea. I actually threw my tofu in my air fryer after marinating and it was delicious! I served this on air fried brussel sprouts and rice. Me and my boyfriend love it. Thanks again!
Reply
Kayla
June 11, 2020 at 7:57 pm

Made this last week and already coming back to make it again. A new family favorite!
Reply
Lindsay
June 11, 2020 at 11:14 pm

Incredible! I will definitely be making this over and over as well as recommending to friends. Thank you!
Reply
Sophia Forbes
September 10, 2020 at 9:44 pm

used Pumfu (pumpkin seed ‘tofu’) with this instead of regular tofu. it came out so amazing, this is such a staple recipe. thank you so much!!
Reply
Lindsay
September 20, 2020 at 9:57 pm

This was so yummy!!! Even my non-vegan husband loved it😋
Reply
David Silver
November 25, 2020 at 1:52 am

Best dish I have ever made and the best comments from guests I’ve ever had. The directions were clear and easy to follow. Pearl couscous and buttery green beans with lots of garlic on the side. Thanks!
Reply
Olivia
December 11, 2020 at 7:21 pm

This was great. I was skeptical about the sauce, but I didn’t find it coconut-y or too watery, even though it didn’t thicken up as much as I expected. Next time I would use flour instead of cornstarch, as I found I could still notice that texture, but once the sauce soaked in a little it was awesome. Served with roasted potatoes and broccolini. Will make again.
Reply
Kenzo
February 4, 2021 at 4:52 pm
I made this dish for my gorgeous vegan spouse. She loved it as a prelude to a wild night of lovemaking!
Reply
- Julie Grace
  February 7, 2021 at 9:19 am
  Hell yeah!
  Reply
Amanda
March 17, 2021 at 12:51 pm

Delicious! The crispiness of the tofu was absolutely amazing, and the sauce to go along with it, just so good! I added a little bit of cornstarch into the sauce to help thicken it a bit more to my personal liking. Overall amazing dish and will be saving this one to repeat again in the future.
Reply
- Lavanya
  March 23, 2022 at 4:06 pm
  
  Loved it! The method to bread and bake the tofu is great, We will experiment with other marinades and flavors with the same method! Thank you for a healthy yet luxurious recipe.
  Reply
Valerie
March 27, 2021 at 11:39 pm

I added some mushrooms and about 2 tbsps white wine to the sauce after the shallots became translucent. The sauce is amazing! It was so good that I licked my plate and the sauce pan clean! The sauce also went very well with the sides I made, steamed green beans and roasted red potatoes.
Reply
- Trish A
  April 14, 2021 at 10:37 pm
  Such a good idea to add white wine! I thought I might and then forgot. Good to know for next time!
  Reply
Trish A
April 14, 2021 at 10:36 pm

I will absolutely make this again! It was fabulous. I made some substitutions because of dietary restrictions- used gluten free panko breadcrumbs and cashew cream (1/3 cup soaked cashews blended with 2/3 cups water) instead of regular bread crumbs and coconut milk. Everyone had seconds. Thank you for this recipe!
Reply
Stina
May 5, 2021 at 11:19 pm

OMG, I kept going back for more! I love the creamy lemon dill sauce. It’s just perfect over the crispy breaded tofu. I pan seared some green beans with crushed red pepper, garlic and veggie broth and though my plating lacked luster the flavor of the plate didn’t disappointment. This will become a new staple in my house and a recipe to share with friends.
Reply
Lenora Henderson
June 23, 2021 at 10:28 pm

Wow! this was amazing! I used cashew cream instead of coconut as I too didn’t think coconut would taste well with these flavors. I did have to add more broth to get the right consistency with the cashew cream but the cream sauce that resulted was rediculously good! And then the tofu was perfectly crunchy on the outside and moist on the inside. I ended up cooking it for a little longer and bumping the heat up to 400- I live in high altitude so maybe that’s why but it just wasn’t brown enough. I may add a little red pepper flake to the marinade next time to add a little kick. But overall this is one of the best tofu recipes I’ve had in a LONG time.
Reply
suzi
July 13, 2021 at 11:18 pm

This was the most interesting dish!! We all enjoyed it tonight. I served it in a pasta bowl with brown rice. That sauce!! YUM!! The tofu reminded us of fish, but not fishy!! Crispy delicious mild crunchy not fishy fish!!.. weird I know! but wonderful!!
Reply
Pauline
August 14, 2021 at 10:22 am

I made this again last night, omg so good. I have decided that the extra firm tofu (in the plastic encasem*nt” is perfect for this and other dishes. It is firm and has a good bite to it.
This recipe is so good, making it for friends next week.
Thank you for yet another great creation
Reply
Nina
September 21, 2021 at 3:02 pm

Tried this out last night and it was delicious! The sauce was perfect, and it all went extremely well with the green beans and porcini mushrooms I made as a side. The only thing I would change up next time is the breading, I think I’d use a cornstarch/flour mixture instead of just the cornstarch, as it became just a little gummy on the slightly thicker pieces that didn’t get quite as crispy in the oven. Overall, a great and fairly simple recipe!
Reply
Marlen
September 25, 2021 at 4:29 pm

Love it! The best crispy tofu – turns out so flavorful! I substituted the coconut cream for oatly cuisine and added some lemon zest (for lemon flavor without it being too sour. Loved it. Already cooked it the second time tonight 🙂
Reply
Lauren
December 12, 2021 at 8:55 pm

So good! It did take a bit with all the prep but very tasty!
Reply
julia
January 11, 2022 at 1:23 pm
Hi, I love your recipes, and you have great photos too.
have you ever tried freezing the tofu then thawing it before pressing it: does wonders for the texture.
Reply
Connie
January 20, 2022 at 10:23 am

Finally. I like tofu! And the sauce is amazing! Happy I had extra sauce because I put it on some fresh green beans. Definitely will be making this again.
Reply
Joanne
January 21, 2022 at 7:43 pm

SO GOOD! I also added a dusting of black salt
Reply
Skye
February 18, 2022 at 5:09 am
Oh my god what did you just do to my taste buds *drools*!
This is such a delicious recipe!!!
I have made this like 10 times now and I only do 1 round of cornstarch – marinade – breadcrumbs. I find all the extra dipping doesn’t really add any extra flavour.
I also didn’t have bread crumbs so I just blended come crackers and used that instead.
Serve with asparagus & green peas.
10/10 love this & your entire blog!
Reply
Rachel
February 22, 2022 at 5:39 pm

Wow!!! This recipe was amazing. I always struggle to get tofu to turn out crispy when I bread it but this technique worked perfectly!! The sauce is amazing as well!!! get served over rice with green beans on the side, One of my new favourite recipes!!!
Reply
Erin
April 27, 2022 at 7:58 pm

This sauce is amazing, I want to put it on everything! I’ll probably double the sauce next time haha.
Tofu makes me nervous most of the time, but the marinade made it taste so delicious!
I can’t wait to make this again!!
Reply
Stephanie Lindeman
June 5, 2022 at 11:16 am

I put a poll on my insta asking for vegan recipes and got this one. HOLY COW it is SOOO GOOD! I changed used 3 shallots instead of 1 and added garlic bc I’m a garlic fiend. But this creamy lemony situation — *chef’s kiss* My friends came over too and had some and really liked it. Oh I also used gf panko crumbs for the tofu. So it went cornstarch, lemony broth, panko crumbs, fryer hehe. Just too good to be true.
And I also added kale to the sauce at the last minute since we didn’t have any other veggies on hand and I’m not totally sure why, but it seemed like the kale ended up getting coated in seasoning or something because they were the most flavorful bits in the sauce in the end! When I was done with my plate I went back to the bowl and just ate the kale pieces haha. I love this recipe and will def check out what else Rabbit & Wolves is up to because clearly this creator knows what they’re doing!
Reply
- Julie Grace
  June 6, 2022 at 10:50 am
  Thank you so much!
  Reply
Kim D
July 6, 2022 at 4:50 pm

My kids favorite tofu recipe!! 100% hands down
Reply
Kami
October 6, 2022 at 5:43 pm

I just made this for meal prep I’m wondering can you please recommend the best way to reheat it?
I have left the sauce on the side for now.
Thanks so much!
Reply
Amber
December 10, 2022 at 12:12 pm
This dish was delicious! One of the best tofu recipes I’ve ever made. I paired it with crispy roasted potatoes as a vegan “fish and chips”. Thanks!
Reply
Pauline
January 6, 2023 at 10:08 am

We love this recipe. Make it every now and again. Yesterday I fried the tofu in my air fryer, came out so crispy. This is so good, even for a dinner party
Reply
Jessica
January 29, 2023 at 9:37 pm

Absolutely delicious, I don’t think I can eat tofu again any other way! Thank you for an amazing recipe!
Reply
Angel
June 6, 2023 at 11:42 am
I doubled the sauce recipe after reading the comments, and wound up using the leftover sauce on pasta with roasted asparagus and shiitake mushrooms. SO good! I did add a bit of flour to thicken the sauce to our liking. Honestly, I could eat this sauce like soup!
Reply
Rachel
July 6, 2023 at 12:46 pm

This dish was so delicious! I doubled the recipe because my family eats tofu like it is going out of style. Loved it! We have leftovers for tonight which everyone is looking forward to.
Reply
Fifi
July 9, 2023 at 4:37 pm
Be proud! You have a hit here!
Reply
Radmila Dolokhanova
August 10, 2023 at 4:33 pm
Hi! Could this be served on top of pasta? What would you pair this with?? THANKS!!!
Reply
- Lauren Hartmann
  August 11, 2023 at 10:54 am
  Absolutely! I think pasta would be great with it. Or any type of veggies you like!
  Reply
Emily Feldkamp
February 25, 2024 at 4:33 pm

I held off on making this for so long because normally breading things ends up an epic failure for me…but the tofu came out perfectly and the sauce was so good I had to contain myself to not just drink the entire thing before serving!! We added this into our rotation no questions asked 🙂
Reply